Julio Jones: Gatlin would make better NFL receiver than Bolt

Jones told reporters Tuesday he was amazed at Bolt’s performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, admitting that once he gets going, the Jamaican is uncatchable. However, Jones said Bolt’s slow starts wouldn’t translate to the NFL and a skillset like that of American sprinter Justin Gatlin would be preferable.

“You’ve got to have that burst to get going,” Jones told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “Like Justin Gatlin. Justin Gatlin gets out quick. There’s like a bunch of Justin Gatlins in football. They get to that speed quick and they can catch it before you open up. So it would be hard for (Bolt) to really pull away from guys in football.”

Jones was asked if Bolt might have a spot as a kick returner, due to having more space to accelerate, but he didn’t think so.

“You’ve still got to change direction,” Jones said. “You’ve got to get to a spot, and then you’ve got to open back up. So it would be difficult for him.”